User:Avrillarios/Medical Volunteerism

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*** Prior to this section is a very underdeveloped lead section as well as the common motivations of volunteers to perform such work***

Ethics:

Medical volunteering has generally been praised as the “ethical imperative to serve the disadvantaged”. '''Medical volunteers may have good intentions and aid beneficiaries may be grateful for their help. Yet, scholars have explored the significant drawbacks of such volunteerism.'''

Short term medical volunteerism abroad, often in developing countries, is sometimes criticized as medical voluntourism. While millions of individuals depend on the free assistance offered through medical volunteer work, such activities are criticized when compared to the alternative notion of sustainable capacities, i.e., work done in the context of long-term, locally-run, and foreign-supported infrastructures. A preponderance of this criticism appears largely in scientific and peer-reviewed literature. Recently, media outlets with more general readerships have published such criticisms as well.

Local communities often voice concerns regarding the transient nature of international medical groups, whose presence is often perceived as convenient but fleeting. These missions typically last between one week to two months, limiting their impact as they can only attend to a fraction of patients within a short timeframe. '''This brief interaction impedes the establishment of meaningful patient-provider relationships, which are crucial for effective treatment. Moreover, inadequate communication prior to the arrival of these groups causes stress for patients who struggle to plan accordingly. Services being provided during the day may necessitate time off work, which is difficult to arrange at short notice.'''

'''Local healthcare teams also encounter challenges due to limited notice, hindering their ability to relay information to patients and adequately prepare to assist foreign teams as required. Additionally, ethical concerns arise from the lack of experience and training among volunteers. Despite their well intentioned efforts, many volunteers lack certification, potentially endangering already vulnerable patients. There is also the risk that volunteers may exploit the desperate need for assistance in under-served countries as an opportunity to gain hands-on experience. '''

'''Considering long-term consequences, the provision of free services by international groups may foster dependency on foreign aid and alleviate pressure on local authorities to address systemic gaps in healthcare access. By implementing responses to criticism, medical volunteering can be improved or transformed to better suit the community at hand.'''

*** Following this section on ethics, the article goes into types of medical volunteer work***